Is Microsoft planning a €75 (US$99) Xbox package?

Microsoft is reportedly planning to launch a US$99 4GB Xbox console in the US next week, including a Kinect sensor. The bundle will be subsidized at a price of US$15 a month over two years.

US gadgetry site The Verge has reported that the two-year subscription will also provide access to the Xbox Live Gold service and will include streaming deals with broadcast service providers.

Users who sign up for the deal will also be covered under a two-year service warranty.

Microsoft is understood to be positioning the package as a competitor to Apple TV, Roku and PlayStation 3.

The proposed package, which adds up to US$459 over two years, contrasts as US$39 more expensive with the current basic two-year Xbox plus Live Gold option which includes a US$299 console plus US$120 for Gold membership amounting to US$420.

We have reached out to representatives of Xbox in Ireland to see if a similar offering will launch in Europe. We’ll keep you posted.